


Dawn

by umplsstop



Category: Hetalia: Axis Powers
Genre: Alternate Universe - Diners, Alternate Universe - Human, M/M, One Shot, Pre-Slash, USUK - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-23
Updated: 2018-12-23
Packaged: 2019-09-02 03:02:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,844
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16778305
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/umplsstop/pseuds/umplsstop
Summary: At 2 A.M. Alfred talks to a rather smart man in a diner while it rains.





	Dawn

Rain slowly sprinkled down from the purple sky that slowly turned into a navy blue hue. The street lamps were coming on, glowing warmly through the cool and crisp air.

On the pavement was spots of puddles forming as the rain made ringlets as it hit the surface. All you could hear was the rain pattering down, creating an unforgettable ambience. 

Glasses fogging up, Alfred took them off and blinked. Everything was blurred, the street lamps looking like blurry suns that peaked through space. Alfred wiped them with his tee from under his jacket and put them back on. 

Alfred rose, looking down at his battered, red converse where the color faded and words written from friends and himself along the white sides. It was blurred and smeared from years of walking in the rain.

_Brrrrriiing! Brrriiiinnngg! Briii--_

Alfred ignored whoever called him; it was most likely his brother who was a worrier. Alfred glanced down. It was his brother and it was 2 AM. His brother probably noticed his light wasn't coming down the hall, and checked up on him.

Wiping the screen clean and setting down in his pocket, Alfred kept his leisurely stroll. He glanced up at the sky, and smiled as the droplets hit his glasses; he didn't wipe them, just kept walking with obscured vision. 

The sky was even darker, and all Alfred could see was light from houses where he saw silhouettes of families talking or even faint music or television from inside. Alfred stuffed his hands in his bomber jacket, and quickened his pace. Perhaps there was somewhere nearby without a lot of people that would offer him shelter of the rain?

Alfred looked across the street and chewed his lip with a small toothy smile. A diner was there, softly illuminating with a green, neon sign that said, "OPEN 24/7." He skipped across the street, and peered through the moist window. It looked abandoned, and nobody was in there. However, he heard the faint sound of old rock and roll music.

Alfred bounded up the slipper steps and entered the diner. Immediately, cool air hit him and then warmth. The tile was completely dry, assumingly nobody had come in earlier. Alfred looked around; the tile was black and white and the booths were a classic red with clean tables with salt and pepper shakers. There was a counter up front with stools and a door that led back to the kitchens. Alfred looked over to his right and pursed his lips, eyebrows raised. 

There sat a man in a booth, staring down at a cup that was steaming. He looked to be in deep thought, as he stuck a finger in it and began lazily stirring. 

The rain picked up the pace, nearly pouring at this point. 

The man suddenly snapped his gaze up, eyes wide and lips forming a round 'o' shape. He had messy hair and the greenest eyes Alfred had ever seen. They were greener than any grass stains on his jeans, greener than any christmas tree, and greener than Peter Pan's clothes. 

"Oh!" The man let out a breathy chuckle. 

Alfred shifted his gaze. The man was far from unnattractive. He lifted a hand and smoothed back his soaked hair, the cowlick staying stubbornly up. It was then he realized he was dripping on the nice clean tile. Hastily, he wiped his shoes on the mat.

The man stood up, then Alfred noticed he had an apron around his waist. "Hello," he greeted. "We don't get a lot of uh, visitors."

Alfred waved the man off, smiling. "It's fine. Just need somewhere to...." Alfred frowned to himself. "Think."

The smile that rugged at this man's lips was sweeter than any other he'd seen before. "I completely understand." He hummed in agreement. He shifted his gaze to his abandoned mug, then his eyes widened again almost comically and he hurried over and behind the counter. "Anything I can get you?"

Alfred rubbed the back of his neck. "Uh...Coffee?"

"What do you--"

Alfred shook his head. "However, I don't care," he said as he slid into the booth where the man was earlier, opposite of his mug.

It was silent as the man prepared his coffee save for the rummaging around. Soon, the smell of coffee wafted over, causing Alfred to nearly melt as he leaned to the scent. This is probably the last thing he needed at nearly 3 AM, but he wasn't going to sleep anytime soon.

The man came over and softly set the mug down. Alfred grabbed onto it. It was warm and steam came from the brown drink. The man then slowly, almost shyly, sat down at his earlier seat and began sipping at his own mug. "What brings you here at the middle of the night?"

"I... I don't know dude." Alfred chuckled, drumming his fingers on the pristine clean, white mug. "I really just needed somewhere to be."

The man nodded. He had very large eyebrows, they were almost comical. "Yes, I believe that's how my day is going."

Alfred quirked an eyebrow. "You do work here, yeah?"

The man flushed, then began frantically waving his hands. "Of course I do! I took the shift now for a reason, not many people come here and I can't cook very well, but if you come here at 3 AM I believe the last thing you're in the mood for is five-star pancakes."

Alfred couldn't help but let out a loud guffaw of laughter. "Sorry!" He wiped his eyes, then his glasses. "I've never seen this diner before and i've lived here my entire life."

"Odd," murmured the man. "Well, now you've found it. My er...friend, owns the diner along with a much nicer restaurant downtown so I basically got a free job here."

Alfred hummed in acknowledgment. He sipped his coffee; it wasn't the best, but it was exactly what he needed. He glanced out the fogged up window and pressed his hand against it, feeling the cold seep in. He then quickly drew a small smiley face and 'Alfred was here.'

The man read what it said, then let out a small laugh. "Alfred, huh?"

"Alfred F. Jones!" Alfred introduced, then took off his jacket and began rubbing at his hair in an attempt to dry it.

The man darted out of his seat and dashed into the kitchens, then ran back out with a towel and tossed it to Alfred. "Here! I'm sorry, where have my manners gone? I've just been so busy and just..." The man had a faraway gaze in his eyes, almost sad. "Sorry." He sat back down again.

"It's cool dude, thanks." Alfred began rubbing at his hair to dry it, sliding his jacket back on. "What's your name?"

"Arthur." The man stuck out his hand. Alfred shook it. "Kirkland. Arthur Kirkland."

Arthur smiles broadly. "Very nice to meet you!"

"And I you."

"So," Arthur shifted, finishing his drink and pushing it to the side. "Not just anybody comes to a diner at 3 AM. Share, my shift lasts another three hours."

Alfred chewed on the inside of his cheek before taking a long drink of his coffee. "Well... I don't know," he said, shaking his head. "I'm just stressed. my brother is always outsmarting me and he's the popular one and he's going to some fancy school in New York next year for law while I'm going to community college." Alfred screwed his face up. "It doesn't matter."

Arthur placed his hand gingerly on top of Alfreds. "I understand."

The two made eye contact, and Arthur immediately retracted his hand as if it burned. "Where do you go to school?" He asked.

"The only college in this town."

Arthur's face reddened and he chuckled. "I do too," he said. "I am majoring in English. I hope to perhaps become an author."

"So that's why you're working here?"

"Yes." Arthur sighed, eyes glazing over. "I wanted to go to school back in England but funny how things change."

"So why'd you move?"

Arthur shrugged, and Alfred left of at that. They sat in a comfortable silence as they each stewed in their own thoughts. Then finally, Arthur spoke up, "If it's any consolation, Alfred, for the short time I have spoken to you you seem very kind and intelligent."

Alfred looked up and stared at Arthur and truly saw him. He had purple eye bags and his messy hair was a tad bit greasy and his skin was a sickly pale, but yet his hair had a bit of shine and his skin was glowing and his eyes were positively beautiful.

"Thank you," breathed Alfred. 

The two men talked for a while from dreams and aspirations to their personal life and friendships. Alfred realized how intelligent the man was and he felt as if he was struggling to keep up.

His phone buzzed in his back pocket again. He got three texts from Matthew. All asking where he was. Alfred sighed, glancing at the time. It was 4:56 A.M. He'd been out for nearly three hours.

Alfred looked up at Arthur who'd been giving him a curious glance. Alfred flashed him a smile. Then something hit him; Arthur's shift ended in an hour. Alfred was going to head home for he had classes at ten. Would they ever meet again? They opened their hearts out to each other and talked about everything.

"Something the matter?" Asked Arthur.

Alfred shook his head. "No, uh," he shifted. "How much is the coffee?"

Arthur waved him off. "Don't worry about it. You paid me in good conversation."

Alfred stood up and slid on his jacket. "My brother is super worried about me," he said. "And I have classes, I should head back."

Arthur frowned, standing up as well. "Ah well, It was nice while it lasted I suppose." He shuffled his feet. "Thank you for the nice chat."

The two men stared at each other before Alfred pulled the smaller man into a tight hug. Arthur slowly reached up and patted Alfred on the shoulder blade, then Alfred pulled back. They grinned at each other before Arthur gingerly grabbed Alfred's arm and took a pen out of his pocket, he scribbled some numbers down with a flushed face.

Alfred looked down at his arm. It was a phone number. He looked up to see Arthur avoiding his gaze. Then, the bell rang to the entrance of the diner. The two looked over and Arthur immediately groaned.

"Hello Arthur! Francis is here!" Called out a man with long blond hair in a suit. 

Arthur gently began pushing Alfred out the exit. "Oh, hello Francis. Back again as usual," he said, still focused on getting Alfred out. Once Alfred was out of the diner, he noticed it was no longer raining but warm and humid. "Goodbye Alfred, See you again soon."

With that, Alfred was strangely giddy as he walked back home and eager to tell Matthew about his early morning adventure.


End file.
